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Roadside Safety Research Group

The Roadside Safety Research Group is responsible for evaluating the crash worthiness of roadside safety technology such as barriers, guardrails, crash cushions, bridge rails, sign supports and other hardware.

Research in Progress

MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) Implementation

  • Caltrans Memorandum “Implementation of the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware” 12/23/2016
  • Caltrans Interim Type Selection Guidelines for Bridge Railings in California, Memorandum 1/17/2017
  • FHWA May 26, 2017 “Open Letter…to highway safety hardware and roadside design community”

Roadside Safety Research Implementation Information

The following table is intended to provide links to details and final reports for research performed by the Roadside Safety Research Branch in recent years.

Research Projects  Federal Study Number Product [Method of Implementation] Structure XS
Sheets Number		 Final Report Number 
Compliance Crash Testing of the Type 60 Median Barrier FHWA/CA17-2654 Standard Plan: A76A, A76B   FHWA/CA17-2654
Compliance Crash Testing of the CA ST-70SM Side Mounted Bridge Rail FHWA/C175-2557 FHWA/C175-2557 Final Report
Standard Plan: pending		    
Compliance Crash Testing of the Type 732SW Bridge Rail FHWA/CA15-2181 Standard Plan: B11-58, B11-59;
732SW Memo		   FHWA/CA15-2181
Development of an Aesthetic/Low Maintenance Guardrail System FHWA/CA15-0918 FHWA/CA15-0918 Final Report   FHWA/CA15-0918
Investigation of the Crashworthiness of Barrier Mounted Hardware: Barrier Mounted Sign and Signpost FHWA/CA10-0644 Standard Plan: A76BA, A76BB, A76BC; FHWA/CA10-0644 Final Report   FHWA/CA10-0644
Low Profile Barrier FHWA/CA10-0645 FHWA/CA10-0645 Final Report   FHWA/CA10-0645
Weed Control Barrier Beneath Metal Beam Guardrail FHWA/CA10-0515 Standard Plan(s) RSP A77N5, N6, N7, N8, N9, N10, FHWA/CA10-0515 Final Report   FHWA/CA10-0515
Development and Crash Testing of an Aesthetic, See - Through Bridge Rail, Type 90 FHWA/CA08-0766 FHWA/CA08-0766 Final Report xs16-050-1,2,3 FHWA/CA08-0766
Crashworthiness Testing of a Portable Maintenance Work-Zone Barrier CA08-0277 Plans and Specifications maintained by Division of Equipment    FHWA/CA08-0277
Crash Testing of Various Roadside Hardware FHWA/CA/MI-2006/22 FHWA/CA/MI-2006/22 Final Report   FHWA/CA/MI-2006/22
Staking Configurations For K-Rail FHWA/CA/MI-2006/21 Standard Plan T3B   FHWA/CA/MI-2006/21
Crash Testing of Various Textured Barriers F2001TL17 Landscape Architecture Highway Barrier Aesthetics Web Page   FHWA/CA/
TL-2002/03
ST-20 Bridge Rail F00SD202  Standard Plan: 
ST-20: B11-71, B11-72, B11-73, B11-74
ST-70: B11-75, B11-76, B11-77, B11-78 		   FHWA/CA/
SD/2004/01
Compliance Crash Testing Of K-Rail Used In Semi-permanent Installations F99TL30 Standard Plan T3, FHWA/CA/OR-99/07 Final Report   FHWA/CA/
OR-99/07
Type 60K Portable Barrier F99TL36 Standard Plan(s) A63A, A63B   FHWA/CA/
TL-2001-08
Compliance Crash Testing Of A Steel Version Of The Type 732 Bridge Rail F2000TL22 F2000TL22 Final Report   FHWA/CA/
TL-2001/41
Bridge Rail Transition F99TL28 Standard Plan(s) A78K,
various A78 series		 xs16-010, xs16-020, 
xs16-025, xs16-026, 
xs16-027 
and 
xs16-030		 FHWA/CA/
TL-2001/09
Type 80 Bridge Rail F94TL48 Standard Plan(s): B11-60, B11-61, B11-64, Type 80 Bridge Rail Final Report   FHWA/CA/
ESC-98-06 Part 3
Type 80SW Bridge Rail F94TL48 Standard Plan(s): B11-62, B11-63, B11-64, Type 80SW Bridge Rail Final Report   FHWA/CA/
ESC-98-06 Part 2
Vehicle Crash Tests Of The Type 70 Bridge Rail F94TL48 Standard Plan(s): B11-55, B11-56, B11-57   FHWA/CA/
ESC-98-06 Part 1
Type 60 Median Barrier: Vehicular Crash Tests of a Slip-formed, Single Slope, Concrete Median Barrier with Integral Concrete Glare Screen F92TL08 Standard Plan(s) A76A through A76I   FHWA/CA/
ESC-98-02

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